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Saturday, May 22, 2010

The Hard Facts on Hard Rock

Since the release of Hard Rock, the response has been AMAZING, and there are a handful of questions that I hear from customers and fans time and time again. So I wanted to sit down and address some of the most common ones.

Why is hard water such a big deal?There are many reasons that diapers can stink, and the majority of the time hard water is to blame. The trouble begins when you first add your detergent to the washer. Minerals in your water will look for anything to bond with, and the first thing they come in contact with is the soap/surfactant that is present in your detergent. The minerals will bind to the soap, essentially rendering your detergent useless. All that’s left is a handful of fillers and “gunk” that will either rinse away in the wash, or more often than not leave a coating on your diapers. After a few washes, your diapers start to stink because they aren’t getting clean. You then try to counteract this, by adding more soap….and then more still. Which leads to more gunk and buildup on your diapers.

And then to further exasperate the problem; those minerals will begin to coat your diaper, which leads to more stink or in extreme cases repelling.

Which is where Hard Rock comes into play. The patent pending formula was designed to counteract all of these hard water issues, and leave you with nothing but clean diapers.

How do I know if I have hard water?85% of North America suffers from hard water, so chances are you are one of them. If you want to know if you have hard water, head to the nearest kitchen or bathroom. You may notice white spots or soap scum in your sink or shower. Dishes may come out of the dishwasher covered in white spots. Faucets and shower nozzles can get clogged periodically and the water flow can become restricted. Persistent stink issues that don’t go away even with stripping, may also be indicative of hard water. If you are in doubt, call your local water board or head over to your local pool supply store and pick up a pack of water testing strips.

Can I use hard rock, if I don’t have hard water?If you are in the middle range, you can also benefit from using the Hard Rock version. We like to think of it as our “deluxe” formula. I would suggest that those that are unsure should try a sample of both the classic and hard rock to see which one works better for them.

Anything special I should know when I make the switch?When you make the switch to Hard Rock, I would suggest “Rockin’ A Soak”. To get rid of built up minerals and left over detergent do the following:

Let it soak for approximately 30-60 minutes (or even overnight). Then launder as usual, skipping the soap. If you have a HE machine, you may have to consult your manual but you can usually do a soak by pressing the start or pause button or soaking in your sink or bathtub. And then you can wash them as you normally would after that.

I would also suggest starting with the recommended dosage when you first start out. Most people struggling with hard water issues are used to using two or three times the recommended amount of soap. That’s not the case with Hard Rock. So start with 2-3 Tablespoons (or 1-2 for a HE machine) and let it do its work.

What about sensitive skin?Don’t let the name fool you, Hard Rock works hard on hard water but is gentle on the skin. We tested in on our most sensitive of testers and didn’t have a single problem. I would suggest going with the unscented variety for those with known issues of course, but you don’t have to sacrifice clean diapers because of your little one’s sensitive skin.

My daughter had trouble with lots of natural detergents, such as Ecover, but Hard Rock has been no problem at all for her. I use a hot water wash and a second rinse. And you don't need a ton of the detergent - just a tablespoon or two.

Megan - I wonder if the Hard Rock was actually pulling out some of the old gunky residue from other detergents and that was what was irritating to your sister's son's skin. Just a thought....

We have EXTREMELY hard water, and without the use of Calgon Water Softener, our diapers both stink and (eventually) repel. However, Calgon + Classic Rock = clean diapers and a happy mommy. Would Hard Rock eliminate the need to use Calgon?